"Well, he's in the library; if he must be disturbed, he must; but he
does like to be alone sometimes," said the girl, in a peevish tone. She
seemed to think it very foolish to admit such an ill-looking fellow into
her master's presence. However, she wiped her hands, and bade him
follow. Opening the library door, she said:--

"Here's somebody, sir, who is dreadfully anxious to see you, and so I
let him in."

I don't know how the boy introduced himself, or how he opened his
business, but I know that after talking awhile, the principal put aside
the volume he was studying, took up some Greek books, and began to
examine the new-comer. The examination lasted some time. Every question
which the principal asked, the boy answered as readily as could be.

"Upon my word," exclaimed the principal, "you certainly do well!"
looking at the boy from head to foot, over his spectacles. "Why, my boy,
where did you pick up so much?"

"_In my spare moments,_" answered the boy.

Here he was, poor, hard-working, with but few opportunities for
schooling, yet almost fitted for college, by simply improving his _spare
moments._ Truly, are not spare moments the "gold dust of time?" How
precious they should be! What account can you give of your spare
moments? What can you show for them? Look and see.

[Illustration: "_Where did you pick up so much?" "In my spare moments_."]

This boy can tell you how very much can be laid up by improving them;
and there are _many_ other boys, I am afraid, in the jail, in the house
of correction, in the forecastle of a whale ship, in the gambling house,
or in the tippling shop, who, if you should ask them when they began
their sinful courses, might answer:--

"In my _spare_ moments."

"In my spare moments I gambled for marbles."

"In my spare moments I began to smoke and drink."

"It was in my spare moments that I began to steal chestnuts from the old
woman's stand."

"It was in my spare moments that I gathered with wicked associates."

Oh, be very, very careful how you spend your spare moments! Temptation
always hunts you out in small seasons like these when you are not busy;
he gets into your hearts, if he possibly can, in just such gaps. There
he hides himself, planning all sorts of mischief. Take care of your
spare moments. "Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do."

[Illustration]

WILL WINSLOW

Will Winslow was the worst boy in the village; his father's indulgence
ha